Pharmaceutical Project Executive

Johnson Controls • Allentown, PA

2d • $105,000 - $145,000 • Onsite

About The Position

The Pharmaceutical Project Executive provides executive-level leadership for a campus portfolio of validated-environment and laboratory construction programs, including cleanrooms, biological safety cabinets (BSCs), containment suites, biocontainment laboratories, and associated utilities. The role is the domain authority for programs requiring rigorous validation lifecycles (IQ/OQ/PQ), equipment qualification, and compliant deployment of regulated systems, ensuring alignment with corporate validation strategy and regulatory expectations.

The position sets portfolio strategy and governance, leads the campus Project Management Office for validated environments, and partners with QA/Validation, Project Development, Delivery, sponsors, and regional leadership to achieve outcomes within a validated-state framework. It oversees portfolio risk, financials, reporting, documentation controls, vendors, subcontractors, client relationships, and business development. The executive ensures compliance with contracts, validation plans, data integrity standards, and regulatory and QA requirements, and supports regulatory inspections and audits. The role also drives recovery and remediation plans, continuous improvement, client satisfaction, and high-quality compliant delivery.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in construction, Civil, Mechanical, or Electrical Engineering, Construction Management, Business Management, Architecture, or a related field.
• 15+ years of direct Project/Program Management experience, including large capital projects in regulated or validated settings; minimum $10M per project, with portfolio-level responsibility preferred.
• Demonstrated success delivering complex, multi-site programs in validated environments (GMP/GLP/ISO 17025) within laboratories, biopharma, pharmaceutical manufacturing, medical devices, healthcare, or related sectors.
• Deep understanding of contract language, project accounting, and portfolio management as applied to validated environments.
• Strong executive communication skills and proven ability to present to senior leadership and diverse stakeholder groups and influence across functional boundaries.
• Proven ability to lead and align cross-functional teams of owners, architects, engineers, QA/Validation personnel, and contractors in regulated contexts.
• Proficiency with project management tools such as Primavera P6 and MS Project, reporting platforms, and advanced MS Office skills, including creating executive-level dashboards and presentations.
• Working knowledge of validation concepts, commissioning/qualification processes, data integrity best practices, and regulatory expectations for validated facilities.
• Ability to establish and maintain professional relationships with key stakeholders and subcontractors in validated environments.
• Willingness to travel and operate across multiple sites as needed.

Nice To Haves

• Master’s degree.
• PMI certification (PMP) or equivalent.
• Certifications or hands-on experience in CQV; CSV awareness; familiarity with FDA 21 CFR Part 11, EU Annex 11, and related regulatory frameworks.
• Experience delivering validated environments such as GMP/GLP laboratories, ISO 14644 cleanrooms, ISO 17025 laboratories, or similar.
• Experience leading programs in datacenter-adjacent facilities requiring stringent validation regimes.
• Demonstrated ability to develop and implement continuous improvement programs for validation processes and data integrity across a portfolio.

Responsibilities

• Provide executive-level leadership for a campus portfolio of validated-environment and laboratory construction programs, including cleanrooms, BSCs, containment suites, biocontainment labs, and associated utilities.
• Serve as the domain authority for programs requiring IQ/OQ/PQ validation lifecycles, equipment qualification, and compliant deployment of regulated systems.
• Set strategic direction and governance for the validated program portfolio, partnering with QA/Validation, Project Development, Delivery, sponsors, and regional leadership.
• Lead the campus Project Management Office for validated environments, ensuring compliance with contract requirements, validation plans, and data integrity standards, and coordinating enterprise performance reporting.
• Anticipate, escalate, and mitigate risks affecting validation deliverables, schedules, budgets, data integrity, or regulatory compliance, and drive issues to resolution.
• Oversee campus portfolio risk management and direct recovery and remediation plans that preserve validated status and manage scope, schedule, cost, and quality impacts.
• Provide accurate, timely, actionable portfolio performance reporting to Executive Management, including financial performance, validation milestones, compliance status, and risk controls.
• Manage client relationships and business development in the validated-environment sector, identifying opportunities to expand scope, deepen partnerships, and improve customer satisfaction.
• Lead strategic vendor and subcontractor relationships, selecting qualified partners experienced in validated environments and aligning them with project goals and timelines.
• Govern campus-level program financials, including budgeting, forecasting, progress billings, and payables, in alignment with validated project baselines.
• Ensure program documentation controls meet contract, regulatory, and QA requirements, including validation protocols, IQ/OQ/PQ records, SOP alignment, and QA approvals, and support regulatory inspections and audits.
• Identify opportunities to improve client satisfaction, streamline validation workflows, and strengthen competitive position through compliant, high-quality delivery.

Benefits

• Competitive base salary and a comprehensive bonus program.
• Three weeks of paid vacation in a calendar year, holidays, sick time, and three PTO days in a calendar year.
• Comprehensive benefits package including 401K, medical, dental, and vision care, available day one.
• Extensive product and on-the-job/cross-training opportunities.
• Encouraging and collaborative team environment.
• Scheduling and management support.
• JCI employee discount programs (The Loop by Perk Spot).
• Competitive benefits package.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior